To Return To Nothing, With Nothing In Return
by Morbid Original
Summary: A couple years into the future... Slade's gone. Trigon's defeated. Raven can finally show her emotions (Love included...). Can Terra still make it as a Titan when she's missed so much? Even her precious Beast Boy seems to have forgotten about her... And
1. Introduction

Chapter 1: Introduction

A couple years into the future...

Slade's gone

Trigon's defeated

Raven can finally show her emotions (Love included...)

StarfirexRobin in a sort of "innocent" relationship

CyborgxBumblebee

Beast Boy... leaning a little bit toward Raven...

Plans for rescuing Terra have pretty much been forgotten. But what happens when something else brings her back?

So much has happened. So much has changed. What will happen if she comes back now? After being stuck in stone, she hasn't aged. The Titans have.

Robin - 21

Cyborg - 22

Beast Boy - 19

Starfire - (In Earth years) around 20

Raven - 20

Can Terra still make it as a Titan when she's missed so much? Even her precious Beast Boy seems to have forgotten about her... And remembered someone else...


	2. Stone

Chapter 2: Stone

I'm still standing here. As I have been for so long. I know it _looks_ like they've forgotten me, but I know that's not true. They'd never do that to me. _He'd_ never do that to me. They promised they'd find a way to change me back. They promised that when they did, they'd come back and help me. And I'd join them. I'd be a Teen Titan. I'd be their friend. And I wouldn't betray them again...

I'm just standing here. As I have been for so long. When I realize something's different. All these thoughts of being saved and going home... I haven't thought for a long time; I haven't been able to. Stone can't think. Stone can't breathe. But...I'm breathing... I'm thinking...but I'm stone... I look around the cave I stand in, and something is wrong. I shouldn't be able to see. I shouldn't be able to hear. But I can see everything around me and I can hear the sound of dripping water and the wind echoing off the cave walls and rustling my hair and... And my hair isn't stone anymore. Slowly, doubtfully I lower my arms. I look down, then cautiously step off the great rock I stand on, nearly tripping over an iron slab that's leaning against it. It reads:

Terra

A Teen Titan

A True Friend

They brought me back... But I look around and see no one. But... it had to be them... No one else knew it had happened... But I am back. And I will become a Teen Titan. Even though I'm as confused as Beast Boy right now, (don't tell him I said that), I'm happy and, I never thought I'd say this, but I want to go home! I start walking toward the cave entrance. Literally the light at the end of the tunnel. And I almost think this is too good to be true. Like I'm dreaming, or something; but stone can't dream.


	3. Welcome Back

Chapter 3 : Welcome Back

_Since you been gone_

_I can breathe for the first time_

_I'm so movin' on_

_Yeah, yeah_

_Thanks to you_

_Now I get_

_What I want_

_Since you been gone_

"Would somebody turn that crap off? They've been playing that song for the last half hour."

Obediantly, Robin leaned forward and switched off the car radio. He turned to Raven, who was sitting in the backseat.

"You're welcome," he said expectanly.

The color deepened in Raven's face slightly.

"Thank you."

Robin turned back around, satisfied.

In overcoming and defeating her father, Raven had broken the mental link that tied her emotion, anger, with her demonic half. Since anger was no longer a threat to her, she could now show all her emotions. Though it had been nearly two years since the defeat of Trigon, Raven was still getting used to 'this emotion thing'.

A few minutes later, they pulled into the garage. They had just gotten back from visiting the Teen Titans East. They all got into the elevator and headed for the top floor.

As everyone headed out of the elevator, Raven lingered behind, a blank look in her eyes. Beast Boy noticed and turned to her.

"Uh, Rae?"

She blinked the distant look from her eyes and silently followed the others down the hall, Beast Boy at her side.

"Something wrong?" he asked.

The two of them had gotten a lot closer over the last few years. They had something in common: they had both lost and gained something very important. Raven had lost the one thing keeping her from truly being herself, being human: her father; and she gained emotion, which led to other things. A new view of things and of her friends. New ways of thinking, but not necessarily new ways of acting. All in all, she was still Raven; somewhat dark, distant, but not so much _feeling _ different from anyone else. She really hadn't changed that much, it's just that now she could easily accept who she was.

But Beast Boy had changed. For a while, he couldn't (or rather, wouldn't) do certain things; the things he did with..._ Her_. What he had lost was a friend: Terra. It seemed for a while, everything would remind him of her. He tried to cover it up with jokes and laughter, but he could never completely forget. He coped with things as well as he could without letting anyone know what he was really feeling. But then Raven was there for him, after she had been 'changed'. She became a confident for him, and vice versa. He wanted to forget; she told him to remember. For _trying_ to lose something is next to impossible and only makes the pain greater. Raven had learned that the hard way and didn't recomend it. She helped him in, not forgetting Terra, but accepting what had come to be. In that, Beast Boy gained a friend, or rather a stronger bond with a friend, and learned how to accept even the worst of fate. (A/N: Aw, somebody hit me! I'm being cheesy again! Smack Thanks…)

"Something wrong?"

Raven looked eye to eye with him, so he could see the emotion in her eyes.

"Yes."

Before he could ask what, the door to the main room opened, and everyone froze in the doorway; standing in the center of the room, was Terra. She was wearing a uniform, but not Slade's uniform; instead, the yellow shorts and black shirt with the Teen Titans symbol on it with tinted goggles and combat boots. Her team uniform.

She stood there casually, waiting for them to speak. No one did.

"Uh, hi guys!" she said a little uneasily, expecting them to all rush toward her and shower her with greetings and 'we missed you!' and questions and… so on. But still, they didn't move.

_Well, this isn't supposed to happen_, Terra thought. _It's like they didn't know I'd come back… But they _have _to know; they're the ones who brought me…_

"Thanks for bringing me back! Did ya miss me?" (Always a good icebreaker.)

This time the silence only lasted a few seconds. Then Robin spoke, taking a few steps toward her.

"Um, of course we missed you, Terra, but…"

_But!_ she thought, raising an eyebrow.

"But… we didn't bring you back," Robin finished.

She just stood there, her jaw dropped slightly, looking at each of the Titans. All just stared at her; all wore the same expression; they had _not_ brought her back.

"B-But… _how_? I-It couldn't've just worn off, it-" Terra stammered, then fell silent.

Robin put his hand on her shoulder.

"Don't worry about it," he said, more an order then anything else. "We'll figure it out."

Terra nodded. He smiled.

"But we _are_ glad you're back."

Terra brightened.

"So, can I still be a Teen Titan?"

Did Robin wince slightly? She couldn't tell for sure.

"Uh, of course."

She grinned.

"Awesome! When do I start?"

Robin smirked.

"Uh, right now. But I'm afraid we've been a little slow these days when it comes to crimes, but I'm sure something'll turn up."

Terra just stared at him for a moment, unbelievingly, but with excitement dancing in her eyes.

"You're serious! I can be on the team!"

"Well, yeah. I think you earned it when you defeated Slade."

Terra beamed.

Finally, when she couldn't hold it in any longer, Starfire flew toward Terra in a flash and wrapped her in another one of her bone-crushing hugs for the third, and hopefully last, time.

"Oh, Friend Terra! You have returned! Again..! You remember me, yes?"

"Of course, Starfire. How could I forget…"

Alright, so far everything had gone as it had the last time Terra came back to the Titans after being away for a while (TITANS RISING EPISODE SEASON 2), even if it was a little out of order.

Talked to by Robin: Check.

Crushed, I mean, hugged and greeted by Starfire: Check.

'Welcome back' from Beast Boy?

_Save the best for last!_ she thought. The others seemed to read her mind.

"Welcome back Terra! This calls for an Ultra-Deluxe-Movie Marathon!" Cyborg said and headed over to the couch and began flipping through the channels looking for a suitable flick.

"Yes, we welcome you back, friend!" Starfire said, hugging Terra again then following Cyborg.

Robin smiled at her and also followed.

Raven still stood by the entrance with Beast Boy at her side; both of them just staring at Terra.

Why don't you just come down here already! Okay, just be patient, Terra. He's just shy; hey, shy's kinda hot… Whatever. I'll just make the first move. Oh, what about Raven… Uh, oh well. She'll deal with it.

She took a few slow steps until she was right in front of Beast Boy.

"Hey," she said timidly, not knowing if he still… well, you know; felt the same way. Then she, somewhat shamelessly, wrapped her arms around his neck and hugged him tightly.

"I missed you," she said quietly, closing her eyes. Seemingly still a little shocked, Beast Boy lightly hugged her back, not saying anything; Terra took no notice of this, though. She was just glad to be back. But when she pulled away from him she noticed he was about two to four inches taller than her. And everyone else seemed to be a little… different in a way Terra couldn't really put her finger on.

"So," she said when she and Beast Boy broke apart. "What'd I miss?"

"Uh, nothing really," he said, not wanting to go into detail about Slade and Trigon and Raven and everything. Raven… Hey! Where'd she- Uhh, shit! She probably went back to her room, or something. There's no way I'm gonna get her out… Or get away from Terra… This… this sucks! Terra should not be back! She wasn't supposed to… Wait, this is what I've been waiting for. How come it feels like very, very unnatural disaster!

"Uh, Beast Boy?"

"Huh? Oh, what?" he said, snapping out of his thoughts.

"Um, I know this sounds really weird, but what happened to you guys?"

"What d'ya mean?"

"I don't know; you all look…different. I mean, how long have I been gone?"

Beast Boy thought for a moment. For most of the time Terra had been gone, he'd been trying to forget about it, so he wasn't quite sure how long it'd been.

"Uh, like 4 or 5 years, I think."

Terra's jaw dropped.

"What! But… but I haven't changed, I-I'm still like 14 and…and…"

"I know. You still look like you did before-"

Terra interupted him, thinking out loud.

"But then you'd be… like 20!" she said, frustrated, almost, at… something. She didn't quite know.

"19, actually," Beast Boy corrected.

Terra took a deep breath in. _It's okay. Age doesn't matter. He's still Beast Boy. You're still Terra. You can still be… I think…_

"Hey, Terra. Um, I gotta go… uh… I gotta go. See you later."

Before she could protest, he had left.

"This…sucks…" Beast Boy muttered as he headed down the hall toward Raven's room.

"Terra is gonna be _so_ pissed at me. Raven probably is already. This is what I wanted… But… Uh! This is so not a good start!"

He stopped as he reached her room.

_Terra? No way! She betrayed us! And Robin just let her join the team after all she's done! She should be _arrested_ right now, not doing the actual _arresting_! I mean, she'd be defeating her own kind if she fought _with_ us. Holy fuck, I'm rambling. But she-she… And Beast Boy- Uh, after all he's been through… And…and with me… and… oh, that's probably all over now. Now that _Terra's_ back he won't need to talk to _me_ anymore. It'll be _all_ about Terra now. Everythings always about her…_

Knock knock

Raven looked up. She had been lying on her bed, with her face in the pillow to keep from either crying or screaming, she didn't know which would come first.

The knock on her door drew her from her thoughts.

_Terra… Oh, God, no. Not right _now_… _She held silent, acting like she wasn't there.

"Uh, Raven? I know you're in there."

Raven sighed, relieved. _Good, it's only Beast Boy… Wait, that's not necessarily _good_. Oh God, he's probably here to yell at me for not saying a word to Terra. Whatever… I'll just take it; being 'lectured' by Beast Boy's worth not talking to that slut._

"What do you want?" she asked, trying not to sound as irritated as she felt.

"Uh, Rae? Can we talk?"

Or…he's not here to yell at me… But talk about what?

"Um, yeah. Come on in."

The door opened and Beast Boy stepped inside. He sat beside Raven on the bed. (Raven sat cross-legged, facing Beast Boy).

"So… what'd you wanna talk about?" Raven asked, looking eye to eye with Beast Boy, as she always did, (not intimidatingly or anything. She just looks at who she's talking to), but he looked away.

He's nervous…

Raven and Beast Boy had a way of interpreting what the other was feeling by how they acted, talked, and basically how they seemed. Raven's way was a little more… 'spiritual', aura and everything, while Beast Boy just seemed to be able to understand her. (That's part of the whole 'looking each other in the eye' thing.)

"So… what'd you wanna talk about?"

"Uh, nothing. Just to talk, I guess."

"About Terra, right?"

He looked up. "Yeah, I guess. Um, are you _okay_?"

Raven raised an eyebrow.

"Um, yeah."

"I mean about Terra. Her being on the team, and everything."

This time Raven looked away.

"You still don't trust her, do you?"

"Beast Boy, don't get mad. I just-"

"No, I'm not mad! I just… I just wanna know why you _hate_ her so much."

Raven looked at him sharply as she spoke.

"I didn't say I hate her. I don't trust her," she stated firmly. Beast Boy's already sorrowful expression deepened.

"Why _not_?" he asked quietly.

"Because of what she did! She betrayed us! She _used_ us! And now the past is being repeated! We're falling right into her trap! Soon we'll be wrapped around her finger, just like before! And then she'll use that to her advantage! If not Slade's, her own! She knows _everything_ about us, Beast Boy, and who knows how she can use that against us!"

"Why would she! There's nobody controlling her now! Raven, please, just give her another chance! She earned your trust before, why not now?"

"Fine. Let her _earn_ my trust. Until then, I'm sticking to my instincts. Is that all you wanted to talk about?"

This was pretty weird for one of their 'talks'. Sometimes it was a little controversial, but nothing that caused an argument _this_ bad.

"Is that all?" Raven repeated. Beast Boy was looking away from her, so she couldn't see how he was feeling. He nodded.

Raven sighed. _Okay, snap out of it! I have to be nice to him right now. Stop being a bitch. He trusts you. He came to you for _advice_. Stop- Oh God…_

He turned back to Raven. It was late, but even in the dim light of the moon coming in through the window, Raven could tell he was crying.

"Beast Boy, I-"

"No, Raven. That's all I wanted to talk about." He started to get up, but Raven grabbed his arm.

"Wait! I- Uh! Beast Boy, I'm sorry! I-I just… told it like it is. You asked me why I don't trust Terra, and… and I told you. I'm sorry if it hurts you, but Beast Boy, it's the truth."

He sat back down. "I know, but…"

"I'm sorry."

He sighed. "It's okay. I just wish that I…"

Raven put her hand on his shoulder.

"If it is meant to be, it will be. Don't feel like it's up to you to make it so."

For a moment, he was silent.

"Thanks, Rae."

"No problem."

With that, he leaned forward and hugged her. But only until he realized what he was doing…

He pulled back quickly.

"Sorry! I-"

"It's fine. I don't care. I mean, I- Yeah. It's fine," Raven stammered, blushing almost as deep a red as Beast Boy was.

(Que the awkward silence!)

"Uh, we should probably go watch the movie now. The others will be wondering where we are," Beast Boy said, finally.

Raven nodded, still blushing.

"Yeah. And Terra might think we're…"

"No! I mean, she won't think that."

_Yeah, she will_, Raven thought, though she said nothing.

They stood up and headed for the living room.

As they entered…

"Yo! Where ya been?" Cyborg asked. He, Starfire, Robin, and Terra were sitting on the couch (in that order, left to right with your back to the TV).

"Uh, we were-"

"Ah, never mind. Just grab some popcorn and sit down; the movie's about to start!"

They did so, with Beast Boy sitting next to Terra and Raven next to Beast Boy. (Where they usually sit, duh.)

Sometime during the movie, when everyone seemed absorbed in the action, Terra leaned over to Beast Boy and whispered:

"Meet me on the roof tonight. There's something I need to tell you."


	4. In the Night

Chapter 4: In the night, in the dark

_It was late, around 1:00 AM, when all the Titans finally went to bed. The sky was black as pitch, with diamond stars jutting out of the darkness. The silence of Jump City almost overwhelming to the few awake…_

Beast Boy closed the door and stepped onto the roof. The night breeze blowing swiftly, causing a certain chill in the air, along with his already present, chilling feeling of dread. Terra was waiting for him. She stood by the edge of the roof, the wind blowing her hair. She turned and smiled as she saw him.

"You came."

His heart beat fast.

"Uh, yeah. Terra, look, I-"

"Beast Boy," she said, her expression now serious. She reached out and took his hands.

"There's something I need to tell you."

"Terra-"

"Something I've needed to tell you for a long time."

Beast Boy stopped trying to speak, seeing it was going to be a while before he'd be able to get a word in edge-wize.

"Beast Boy, ever since I met you, I knew I'd never meet anyone like you again. And when Slade came… I'm sorry; I lost track of priorieties. I never should've let my own nervous dependancy come before my friends. And I never really had the chance to appologize before… it happened… so, I'm sorry. I think the others have forgiven me, but I wanted to know how you…"

"I forgive you, Terra."

She smiled again.

"But, Terra-"

She hushed him, sweetly.

"That's not all. There's one more thing I have to tell you, and I hope I haven't missed so much you won't understand, but Beast Boy, I-"

"Terra!" he muttered, though he seemed to be losing his voice for some reason.

"I love you."

Beast Boy just stood there, an almost sad expression on his face, though perhaps it was too dark for Terra to see it.

"It's okay, Beast Boy," she said, stepping a little closer to him. "I know this is a lot to take in. I don't need an answer right away."

With that she leaned forward with her eyes closed, and Beast Boy started to do the same.

But then he stopped and pulled away from her.

"Beast Boy, what's wrong?" Terra asked, sounding a little surprised.

Beast Boy sighed, confused with all his mixed emotions, then turned back to Terra.

"Terra, look. I-"

For a moment she looked confused, then realization seemed to dawn on her.

"Oh. Oh, okay. Sorry, I didn't know you and Raven were-"

"No! That's not it at all!" Beast Boy corrected quickly.

I don't think… 

"It's just…" He sighed. "Look, I just think we need to take things a little… slower. Okay? I mean, you just got back, and… Terra, I don't like saying this, believe me, but… I'm not sure how I feel right now. Okay? I mean, it's just been so long and… and I really, _really_ need to figure out where I am right now before anything 'happens'. Do you understand? I'm sorry, really, I'm just… a little lost right now. And-"

"And a relationship isn't exactly what you need on top of everything else. Don't worry, Beast Boy, I understand," Terra finished for him and smiled again, though she did seem a little disappointed.

Okay, don't worry about it, Terra. He just needs some time to remember. Once he does, he'll remember how we used to be. He'll come around. I just need to be there for him and try to understand what he's going through. We just… kind of have to start from square one again…

"It's no problem," Terra said again.

Beast Boy still looked unconvinced.

"Really, don't worry about it. You're right, we need some time to re-get-to-know-each-other. It's fine," she insisted.

"Okay. Thanks, Terra. I'm guess I'm just still in shock since you came back and everything."

She nodded, that somewhat-forced smile still plastered on her face.

After a very, very awkward silence, Beast Boy finally said, "Look, it's getting late; maybe we could get together another time and catch up with each other?"

"Sure. Good night."

Raven was awakened by a knock on the door.

Slowly, she got out of bed, slid her cloak on over the black, v-neck leotard with transparent sleeves she had worn to bed.

As soon as she opened the door, Beast Boy came rushing past her into the room.

"Hey! What the-"

"Close the door," he said. Raven could see he was a little shaken. She closed the door.

"Beast Boy, what's wrong?"

"Okay, I know it's really late, but I really need to talk to you."

Not knowing what to say, Raven nodded. They sat down on her bed.

"Terra again, huh?" Raven guessed.

"Well, yes and no. Raven, what I'm about to ask you is really personal and-"

"I won't tell anyone."

"Oh, I know. But… God, this is really weird to say… but how do you know you're in love?"


	5. Whatever You Say

Chapter 5: Whatever You Say

_I knew it… He _does_ still love her… But… that shouldn't mean anything to me… Why should I care? Uh, screw it… I may as well admit it to myself just so I can think straight… Okay, I'm in love with him. Big deal. And I think he's in love with me. Terra can just deal with it, or go packing. Okay, what are my options…_

_1. I tell Beast Boy_

_Results:_

_He could either love me, give me the 'I think we should just be friends' speech, or shoot me._

_Great option_

_2. I don't tell Beast Boy_

_Results:_

_Nothing ever happens between us and I get over it, or he ends up with Terra while I spend my life regretting never saying anything_

_Another great option, but I think I'm likin' the 1st one more… Though with Terra it's gonna be a little harder to tell him… Uh! And I'm so new to this… this emotion thing! Uh, this sucks… Okay, plan:_

_I'll just see how things are for him, and if he's not headed towards Terra, I'll make my move; if he is going for Terra, I'll either watch from the sidelines or tell him before they get serious._

_Conclusion:_

_Oh, fuck me: I'm doomed_,Raven thought at the mention of 'love.' Of course, she thought he meant Terra when Beast Boy asked about love. And he partly was. But partly not…

"…how do you know you're in love?"

"Uh, well, I don't really know much about-"

"Raven, I know you couldn't _show_ your emotions, but you _had_ to have _felt_ love for someone in your life, didn't you?"

Raven sighed. "I guess…"

"Well, how did it feel? Can you even tell, or is it more complicated?"

"Yes."

"What?"

"Yes, you can tell, and yes, it's more complicated. You feel it, but you're not sure what you're feeling."

"Okay, yeah, I'm definitely lost."

"On what?"

"I don't know, all of it! Like… just tell me how it feels."

Raven thought for a minute.

"Well, for a girl at least, you get all fluttery at the thought of… the person… and when you're around… I'm gonna say 'him', you start getting sort of light-headed in an excited way, and you don't know what to say. You're just kind of happy, I guess. I don't know, I'm confusing myself. I don't think that made any sense."

"Not really, but I get the idea. From experience, sort of… Hey, what's wrong?" Beast Boy asked, noticing the scowl now on Raven's face.

"Never mind."

"Raven."

"Fine. I-okay, you're gonna hate me for saying this-but I don't think you should go out with Terra. I'm not going to do anything to stop you, that wouldn't be fair, but that's just my opinion."

"Man, you really do hate her," Beast Boy commented, amused.

"Surprisingly, this has nothing to do with that. I'm just being greedy."

Beast Boy looked at her, confused. Two thoughts were going through his head:

What did she just say? 'being greedy'! As in… 

_She wants me for herself_

_or_

_I just completely misunderstood what she said_

"Uh, could you repeat that?"

"Sorry, no. I barely meant to say it out loud… Figure it out."

"Raven… do you-?"

Raven held up her hand to silence him.

"No no no no no! Shut up! Figure it out! Use your imagination!"

"That's not fair, I'm gonna be wrong!"

"Let's just say, whatever you want it to be, it's true. Okay?"

"I'm so lost…"

_Well, that would work out okay. If he _does_ want to be with me, he'll say that and I'll be with him… which is what I want, and that would mean he wants to be with me and… Damn it! Rambling again! Okay, so… that or if he doesn't want to be with me, he'll say the other thing he thought I meant, and then I'll know not to get my hopes up about… anything. Wow, that last one sucks… C'est la vie…_

"SO LOST!"

"I don't care! I already told you what to do! Bend my words between what you thought I meant and what you wanted me to mean."

"You're killing me!"

"Okay! Okay okay okay! Um… okay. Think on this: what did you think I meant?"

"Kay."

"And what do you want me to have meant?"

"Kay."

"Put the two together, and…?"

"And no matter what I say, it'll happen?"

"Basically, so make sure you know what you're saying."

"Okay: I think I'm in love with you."

There was a brief silence.

"I said make sure you know what you're saying."

"I am!"

"Really?"

Beast Boy nodded. A faint blush had darkened his face. He had grown so close to Raven, he barely felt embarrassed. Raven's face was burning bright red. _I can't believe I'm going to do this…_

"Um, are you really, really sure? Because, there's only one way to fine out for sure, and frankly I'm not sure if you want to risk it. I mean, you might be-"

"Raven, shut up."

With that, Beast Boy pulled Raven to him and kissed her.


	6. Early Bird, And Beast

Chapter 6: Early Bird (and Beast)

The next morning, as Terra walked into the living room, it seemed as though everything, except her, was running in slow motion. Everyone was in a sort of daze, walking slowly from one place to another, going about morning routine with an unusual slowness. Terra thought it to be just plain, old Sunday tiredness. Though lack of sleep, on account of constant disturbation, was the actual cause. After having watched the movie last night, the Titans' slumber was repeatedly disrupted with anxious thoughts; thoughts about Terra. And partly Beast Boy. And Raven.

Terra – who brought her back? _how_ did she come back? is the change only temperary? can we really _trust_ her?

Beast Boy – how is he going to react to this? what if she _does_ change back? will he be okay? or is he over her already? in general: how the fuck is he going to deal with this?

Raven – how will she take it? will she quit the team? will she be angry? better watch for any signs of suicidal actions… what about Beast Boy: will she be able to take it if he and Terra pair up again?

what if Terra _doesn't _get back with Beast Boy? will she be upset? will _she_ quit the team? what have we gotten ourselves into…

These and numerous other thoughts kept the Titans awake at night, not to mention the worry of what Raven and Beast Boy were thinking then… How they were coping. The Titans expected them to walk into the living room the next morning as complete wrecks; tired, grumpy, etc. Imagine their surprise when the two walked in side by side, giving off the aura of a good mood, and a general happiness.

**(Flashback, earlier that morning)**

_**Riiiiiiiinnnnnngggggggg!**_

"**Aah!" Beast Boy screamed as fell out of bed, (top bunk), and landed on a pile of clothes and videos, etc.**

"**Stupid alarm clock! Ow… Wait a minute…" Beast Boy muttered as memories of last night came flooding back to him, along with full consciousness. "Oh my God…"**

**Hurriedly he dressed then ran out of his room and down the hall, barely noticing that his clock read: 6:20 AM. The thought of how early it was finally came to him when it was too late; it came as soon as he'd opened the door to Raven's room and stepped inside.**

"**Raven!"**

**Raven lay asleep in bed still, barely moving even when he called her. Anxiously, he came over to the side of her bed and shook her awake.**

"**Raven! Wake up!"**

**She opened her eyes quickly and sat bolt upright, not recognizing who was there. She turned to look at him, letting her eyes slowly ajust to the light.**

"**Oh. Uh, hi? And what are you doing in my r-"**

"**Listen, Raven. I know this is the third time in the past twenty-four hours that I've randomly run into your room, and I figure you're gonna kill me for it later, but I need to get something staight: last night, something… happened. Well, either it happened, or I dreamed it, but that's what I want to get straight. Raven, did we-"**

**He was cut off as Raven smiled, then leaned forward and kissed him.**

**For a moment afterwards, he seemed to be in shock. Then he spoke.**

"**So… not dreaming, huh?"**

**Raven shook her head. Beast Boy tried to hide his smile but to no avail.**

"**So, are we-"**

"**Yeah."**

**Again, it seemed too good to be true.**

"**Uh, cool. I mean, I know it's not really… Uh… Did you just kiss me?" Maybe it was just the morning speaking, but Beast Boy was having just a _little_ trouble with words.**

**Raven nodded. "Why? S' that a problem?"**

**Beast Boy looked at her like she was crazy.**

"**Uh, no."**

**They smiled as Beast Boy leaned over Raven, pressing his weight against her until she was lying on her back beneath him. He said 'I love you' shyly, then pressed his lips against hers, with no intent of removing them for a while. They had time; after all, it was only 6:23 in the morning.**


	7. What's for Lunch?

Chapter 7: What's for Lunch?

"You did NOT just pass me…! Don't gimme that look! What the- Give me that! Wh- You're cheating! No way you just- What? How the- WHAT THE MOTHER-"

"Cyborg, you'll wake the neighbors. And the rest of the city for that matter…"

"Cram it, Rob."

"Yeah, cram it, Rob," the dark girl said. Everyone turned as Raven and Beast Boy finally walked into the living room that morning. Or rather, that afternoon; half past one.

Cyborg and Terra looked up from their video game (A/N: yeah, dude's like 21 n' still plays video games. Welcome to the deep south), and Robin looked over from where he was leaning against the wall by the TV.

"Nice of you to grace us with your presence, Raven," he said sarcastically; he looked over at Beast Boy. "What were you two doing, making out?"

This caused an eruption of laughter around the room.

_Yeah. Right. And the Earth is flat!_, Terra thought. For a moment, though, the thought that it could be true passed through her mind. She'd been gone a long time. God knows what she missed…

_You have no idea_, Raven thought, hearing her thought. She and Beast Boy had laughed too, more at the fact that Robin didn't know how true that statement was than anything.

"_Hey, Rae. Do you think we should just… tell them?"_

"_It's up to you. I don't care either way, but…"_

"_What? Seriously, I won't if you don't want to."_

"_No, it's not that… But what about Terra?"_

"_Oh, yeah… Well, maybe not her, then. Just the others. Not Starfire, either, probably. She'll spill it."_

"_Yeah. Robin and Cyborg, then. They can deal with it."_

"_Right."_

(A/N: Doesn't having mental conversations rock?)

"Please, what is this 'making out?'" Starfire asked as she entered the room from one of the hallways by the TV. Robin was about to answer when Raven spoke.

"You know. It's what you do with Robin; it's the part _after_ you lock yourselves in his room, and _before_ he takes your clothes off."

"WHAT!" Robin's face was deep, deep red, and he seemed not to be breathing. Again everyone, or most everyone, laughed. Starfire just stood there looking confused and blushing slightly.

"But how did you know tha-" she started to ask, but Robin ran up to her and quickly clamped his hand over her mouth.

"Heh heh. Uh, Star? Never mind." She looked at him questioningly, but stayed silent as he let go of her.

"_That was classic! I'm writing that down."_

_Raven snickered. "Be my guest. Be sure to include the look on his face afterward."_

"_Kay."_

"So, what's for lunch?" Robin asked, changing the subject. His face was still burning. "We've been waiting for you two since twelve," he gestured towards Raven and Beast Boy.

"Uh…" Everyone turned to look at Beast Boy. "… I, uh, thought we could… go out to eat…?" he suggested. To his surprise, he didn't get pummeled for 'sleeping in' and not preparing anything. (A/N: ;D)

Robin looked over at Terra for approval. "That sounds good," she said, nodding. "Where to?"

"Who picked last time?" Cyborg asked.

"Oh, no…" Robin muttered. "Beast Boy picked last time." (A/N: And we're going in order; at the end of the theme song, the '1, 2, 3, 4, go!' thing. Heh heh.)

Everyone turned to look at Raven, who was smirking humorously.

"Don't worry. I'm willing to spare you the nightmares since it's Terra's first day back." Everyone in the room sighed, relieved. "But I _am_ going to pick someplace that I go to." Her friends exchanged worried glances. "Get changed. We'll meet in the garage." With that, Raven turned and left the room.

"So… are we dead?" Terra asked, breaking the silence.

"Possibly."

"Ah. Just making sure."

Raven was the last to join them in the garage.

"Finally. What took you so long? Holy…" Robin couldn't even finish his sentence. Raven stood at the front of the garage, hand on her hip. She wore dark blue bell-bottom jeans with sapphire and diamond studs going up the sides; a black halter-top, very low cut, again with the blue and crystal gems around the outline of the shirt; stiletto black boots with pointed toes to finish it off. Her hair was down to just past her shoulders with thick, black, ropey extensions longer than her hair. A black leather purse hanging over her shoulder to complete the look.

"Oh my God… RUN! IT'S THE APOCALYPSE!"

"Beast Boy, calm down. I told you guys to change clothes; I assumed you'd know that meant I'd be changing too."

"Clothes, yes. Entire appearance? Not quite."

"Chill, Beast Boy. You look great, Raven," Terra said, smiling. She was wearing a faded denim mini-skirt with roughly cut edges, and a short-sleeved, powder blue tee-shirt made of some thin, soft material, with white writing of it that said 'MAKE A WISH' (A/N: I have that shirt! American Eagle, or something… And no, not the make a wish foundation. :$) Straw, painted white, platform sandals that wrapped around the ankles, and a few white and blue beaded bracelets.

Raven smiled back at her. "Thanks."

"Okay, now that the fashion show's over, can we freakin' go now!" Cyborg asked impatiently. He wore black jeans and a short-sleeved black shirt (he was using the holographic rings or whatever to make him look like 'Stone' again, from DECEPTION EPISODE 1 SEASON 3).

"Yeah, let's go." They got in the car, which seats seven now; driver's seat, passenger's, two captain's seats, and three in the very back.

"_So… do you still hate her?" _Beast Boy asked (mentally) from the back seat. Raven was sitting in the captain's seat in front of him.

"_Not really. I just don't completely trust her."_

"_I understand. But remember, she _did_ leave off on a good note last time we saw her. I mean, before she…"_

"_I know. She was desperate. I doubt she's make the same choice again. With Slade, I mean." _

"_Like she even could if she wanted to, after you kicked his ass!"_

_Raven laughed. "Good point."_

"Hey, Raven. You never told us exactly where we're going, so… Where are we going?" Robin asked from in front of Raven (passenger's seat, duh).

"You'll see." A vague reply that wasn't exactly comforting, coming from Raven, anyway. "Head downtown. Look for a place called Precious Cargo."


	8. Near Confessions at Precious Cargo

Note: Sequita is pronounced (Sa-KEY-ta) And yes, she does actually exist, and Precious Cargo is actually her restaurant in Memphis, Tennessee. Look it up on Google - .

Chapter 8: Near-Confessions at Precious Cargo

"Pull over here." After driving for what seemed like forever, the Titans found themselves parked on the side of the street in front of a small, unpainted structure, much like the others around it. It was one-story and looked to be very, _very_ old with a sort of dusty look to it.

There were two doors on the front of the building: one on the far right, the other the far left. It seemed to be split into two different stores. Raven was first to get out of the car, and, shielding her eyes from the sun, walked toward the door on the left. Slowly, everyone followed her. A hand-painted sign over the door said 'Precious Cargo' in purple and blue.

Raven pushed open the glass door and stepped inside. The front room of the café had white walls and dim lights with a few tables by the windows and a small bar across from where the Titans stood in the doorway. There was a small window above the bar that let you see into another room: the back room.

Through a doorway right of the bar, there was a room with absolutely no lights and walls painted black. There was a small stage on the left side of the room, and black, square tables placed in no particular order or pattern.

"Um... is this place deserted?" Beast Boy asked, breaking the awed silence.

Raven smirked. "May as well be. You guys go ahead and pick a table. I'll go find Sequita," Raven said, gesturing to the back room, then heading off behind the bar area and through a door labeled 'Employees Only.' Shrugging, Robin led the others into the other room and sat down in one of the black chairs at a table for six.

"So... this isn't so bad," he offered, looking around at the jazz paintings on the walls; just about the only color in the room.

"Yeah. I was expecting a lot worse," Beast Boy said, sounding relieved and taking a seat across from Robin.

"Is it okay with you, Terra?" Robin asked, remembering they had a 'guest.'

Terra nodded. "It's really cool. I just can't see much..."

"That's when you open the blinds, child."

Everyone turned. In the doorway, Raven stood with an amused smile on her face; beside her was a tall African-American woman wearing a colorful dress and a scarf wrapped around her head; they were traditional African clothes.

Robin stood up. "Um, hi. Uh," he searched for something to say, "nice place you got here."

The woman smiled. "Hello to you too. And thank you." She gestured extravagantly around her. "Welcome to Precious Cargo. My name is Sequita."

"I'm Robin, and this is-"

"Oh, I know who you are; Raven's told me _all _about you. Except for you," Sequita looked at Terra, still smiling.

"Oh. This is Terra," Robin said.

Sequita went to her and shook her hand. "Well, it's nice to meet you, Terra. Are you new to the city?"

"Um, sort of," Terra replied, not wanting to retell her story; especially the part with Slade and the betrayal and all.

Sequita seemed to sense that. "Well, I hope you'll be likin' it in the city and in my little place here," she said sincerely.

Terra smiled. "Yeah, it's really cool here. And nice outfit."

"Sequita likes to dress up," Raven commented jokingly, walking up to them.

"Speaking of, it's nice to see _you_ out of spandex and a cape for once, too," the woman teased, pointing at Raven's studded shirt and jeans.

"It was a special occasion," Raven said simply. Sequita stepped closer to her and spoke in an almost impossible-to-hear whisper.

"Which 'occasion' are we talking about? The new girl? Or the boy?" Though he didn't hear what she said, Beast Boy saw a mischievous gleam in Sequita's eyes and a blush on Raven's face, telling him this woman knew what was going on. She was Raven's old friend, obviously, and friends talk. Maybe Raven had told the woman about Beast Boy...

There was an awkward silence then, until Sequita spoke. "All right, now that we're introduced, you can all sit down, and I'll be back in a moment with the menus," she said, purposely steering Raven toward the seat to Beast Boy's right; then she turned around and headed into the front room.

Cyborg, who was sitting on Beast Boy's left, seemed to get an idea from the look on Sequita's face and shot a glance at Robin to see if he got it too. He gave a slight nod of confirmation; this was going to be fun.

Sequita came back with six menus and handed them out. They ordered their meals and drinks, and she went back into the front. While the others were reading their menus, Robin mouthed to Cyborg, "We've gotta set them up," and nodded his head toward Beast Boy and Raven. Cyborg nodded. Neither of them thought of what Terra would think of this.

"So, Cyborg, how're things with you and Bee?" Robin asked, building up to the _real_ question.

"Pretty good, for a semi-long-distance relationship. And I _would_ ask how you two were doing if I couldn't hear you from my room," Cyborg teased, pointing with his fork at Robin and Starfire, who was sitting to Robin's right, across from Cyborg.

The color in Robin's face deepened for a moment as he shot Cyborg a look that said 'Remember who we're trying to humiliate, okay?'

Raven laughed quietly at Cyborg's comment from behind her menu.

"I'm sorry, do _you_ have something to say on that matter, Raven?" Robin asked sarcastically. "Is there anything we should _know about_?"

"What do you think?" she asked, scowling at him.

Robin smirked. "You're blushing," he taunted in a sing-song voice.

"No I'm not," Raven said and slouched lower in her seat.

"Oh, come on, Raven, tell us who it is," Cyborg insisted.

Terra sat across from Raven, thinking _Oh, God... Please don't let me be right!_

"Tell us!"

"There's no one, I swear!"

"Please, Raven, we do wish to know of whom your heart desires," Starfire begged earnestly.

"My God, I swear there's nobody, okay? Why do you care anyway?" Raven asked.

"Because we thought we'd rather hear it from you than Beast Boy," Robin replied matter-of-factily.

Beast Boy choked on his drink and started coughing until Cyborg smacked him in the back.

"Thanks. And WHAT?" he asked, giving Robin a confused yet affective death-glare.

Robin seemed immune. "So, how long have you been going out? Like a year?"

"What the hell..." Raven sighed, exasperated. She glanced at Beast Boy, who seemed equally embarrassed.

"_Dude, we've been set up."_

"_No shit, Sherlock."_

"_So what'ta we do?"_

"_Set _them_ up right back."_

"All right, Robin, we'll play your little game. But _you're_ going to play too."

"Alright," Robin said, leaning in a little. "You name it."

"Whatever question you ask me, I'll answer truthfully, and if you think I'm lying, I have to do a dare."

"Basically truth or dare, cool."

"Sort of. _But_... then _I_ get to ask _you_ my own question, and if I think _you_ didn't answer truthfully..." Raven was now smiling mischievously, and Robin didn't like it. "Your ass is mine."

"_Well put."_

"_I thought so too."_

"Alright. But I ask my question first."

"Shoot."

"Okay, _do you_ have a boyfriend?"

"Kind of. I don't know if he considers me his girlfriend yet."

"_I do."_

"Never mind, he does. Yes, I have a boyfriend."

Robin looked slightly taken aback. "...you're lying. I dare you to kiss Beast Boy."

"What! I'm not lying! I swear! You can ask him yourself... later."

Robin sighed. "Okay, fine. Wait, what happens to me since I thought you were lying, but you weren't?"

Raven thought for a moment. "I dare you to kiss Beast Boy."

"What the fuck? Are you kidding me!"

"No. You thought I was lying when I wasn't, so now you have to do a dare. Kind of like playing BS, only you get a dare instead of the pile," Raven said, smirking.

"You're fucked up..." Robin muttered.

"Uh, Raven? Let's stop for a minute and think about BOTH SIDES OF THIS DARE!" Beast Boy said nervously.

Raven sighed, mock-exasperated. "Fine. Robin, I dare you to... Actually, I'm not going to dare you, but then you can't dare me the next time you think I'm lying."

"Fine," Robin said, trying not to show his relief.

"All in all, at least I've proven you're a sissy."

"That's it. Beast Boy, get your ass over here."

Beast Boy shrieked and turned into a turtle, which landed on the table, spinning around in circles.

"Ooh, spin the bottle," Robin said, another idea forming in his mind.

"Turtle..." Raven corrected him.

"Whatever. Okay, whoever Beast Boy lands on has to kiss him. Open mouth."

Raven smirked. "You better hope to God it isn't one of you," she nodded at him and Cyborg.

Cyborg gulped. "Um, maybe you should re-think at least the open mouth part, Rob."

When the turtle started slowing down... "Oh...my...God... You are kidding me!" ...it was heading toward Cyborg.

"You'd think BB'd have some control over the spinning... Oh my God, Beast Boy's gay!" Robin proclaimed.

"Dude, so not true," a very dizzy turtle contradicted as it was about to land on Cyborg.

Shrieking like a girl, Cyborg grabbed Raven and pulled her in front of him, shielding himself from the turtle.

"Hey! Not fair! He moved me!" Raven said, trying to hit Cyborg with a chair (telekinetically).

"Moved you? I was just hiding!" Cyborg protested.

"How 'bout this," Beast Boy suggested, morphing back to his human form and sitting down in his chair. "No one has to kiss me."

_Damn_, Terra thought; all this time, she had been practically _praying_ it would land on her.

"Good idea. We don't need you throwing up in anybodies' mouth..." Raven said, sitting down in her own seat again, Cyborg having released her.

"Okay, back to business. Raven, your turn to ask a question," Robin said.

"Right. Um... okay. Robin, have you ever had a crush on me during all our years of being a Titan?"

For a moment he didn't answer; he just stared at Raven with a vacant expression on his face. "I'll just kiss Beast Boy."

"I knew it!" Cyborg said, pointing an accusing finger at Robin.

"What can I say? I was young, I was stupid. I won't make the same mistake again," Robin jested.

"Hey!" both Raven and Beast Boy yelled at the same time. Then they were silent.

"_Nice, Beast Boy. You only just _completely_ gave yourself and US away. Kudos."_

"_Heh heh. My bad..."_

Robin looked at them, gaping. "Okay, new question," he started, finding his voice. "Raven, have you seen this boyfriend of yours in the past twenty-four hours?"

_No way. No way, no way, no way! This _can't_ be happening! He told me he didn't love Raven; he wouldn't lie to me!_ Terra thought. She had paled a lot during this conversation, but no one seemed to notice.

Raven was blushing uncontrollably. "Yes."

"Ha!" Robin laughed triumphantly, pointing at Raven. "And have you by any chance left the Tower in the past twenty-four hours?"

"What is this? A court interrogation?" she asked desperately, avoiding the question by all means.

"Something like that."

"_Raven, just say yes. And technically, you're not lying either. We came _here_ within the last day."_

"Yes, I have left the Tower."

"In the past-"

"Twenty-four hours, yes."

"You're lying."

"No, I'm not."

Robin rolled his eyes. "Coming here doesn't count."

"It answers the question."

He sighed. "Whatever."

"And I'm not going to make you do a dare again. So that's two times you can't dare me, lying or not."

"I hate you."

"You should."

"Okay then, have you kissed?"

"No."

"That's bullshit."

"So? What're you gonna do about it?"

Robin thought for a second. "...nothing..." He couldn't think of anything. Figures...

"You're down to one grace-question," said Cyborg, who was apparently keeping score.

"Good, 'cause I have a few left," Robin said, smirking. "Raven, have you known this guy for a long time? I'm assuming it's a guy, anyway."

"Yes, it's a guy. And no, we just met."

"_What are you doing! You just completely wasted a free-bee!"_

"_I know, I know. I just don't want to give them any more hints."_

"You're lying."

"Grace period's over," Cyborg announced.

Robin smiled triumphantly. "Final question: does your boyfriend live in Titans' Tower?"

"_We're screwed."_

"Thanks for the words of encouragement, Beast Boy."

"Um... he lives-"

"Food's here!" Just then, Sequita entered the room carrying a tray loaded with food. A few more people had just entered the restaurant and were seated a few tables away from the Titans.

"Oh, thank God..."

"_Um, Raven? Is your friend here by any chance psychic?"_

"_Only telepathic. Like Aqualad."_

"_Oh. And speaking of... do you still have a crush on him?"_

"_Funny you should ask."_

"_Excuse me?"_

"_I'm kidding."_

_"Oh."_

_"I hate to interrupt your little conversation, but your food's on the table," Sequita teased._

_"Oh, thanks."_

_"Uh, what she said..."_

Before they started to eat, the two looked around the table at the others. Cyborg was wolfing down a hamburger; Starfire was also eating a burger and trying to resist sucking all the mustard out of the mustard packets at the end of the table (their table's against the wall); Robin had soup; and Terra was picking at spaghetti, looking a little depressed. Everyone was too distracted with eating, it seemed, to continue the questioning. This was lucky for Raven and Beast Boy; even if everyone knew the answer, at least they didn't have to say it. But if everyone knew it, that meant...

I_ knew it. He lied to me. He is in love with Raven. Why couldn't he have just told me when I'd asked? It would've been a lot better than this. No, I guess it wouldn't be. I can't believe that after all this time I've been waiting, I'm finally back and... there's nothing here anymore. All that I came back for is gone. It was probably never here in the first place. I wonder if I should've come back at all._

Raven heard this and was worried. The last thing they needed was Terra opposing them again out of spite. Raven looked at Terra. _This whole thing has to be so strange for her. All her friends are older than her, and they've changed; Terra is still exactly the same. Fourteen's a hard year as it is, but to have the world around you change and yourself stay the same, for time to pass around you but within your kemosphere stand still... not knowing anything that happened those four years, not remembering or sensing or being... I can't believe I'm saying this, but I feel sorry for her._

_What does she have that I don't? What's the difference? She's older than him, and she's darker and weirder and- and she's half demon for Christ's sake! Why would he want to get involved with her? But she has changed a lot; I can tell. And she doesn't have to be so... contained anymore. I guess I should be happy for her... Uhh! But why couldn't I have just been there when her father was defeated, when she took Slade down, when... When Beast Boy fell in love with her... This is all my fault. It never should have been this way. If I hadn't gone with Slade, I would be nineteen years old, I'd have friends who actually trusted me with reason, not pity, and Beast Boy would be mine. I hope he only likes her 'cause she has good figure, or something. Any guy would fall for her, with what she wears. Everything's so tight on her around her breasts; I'm surprised Robin and Cyborg haven't... Oh yeah, they have. God! Can't Beat Boy just wait a few years until I get huge boobs and stuff? Oh, but I hope Beast Boy isn't like that. Then all we were before I joined Slade was just because of stupid stuff that doesn't matter. I just wish I never came back..._


End file.
